(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates, generally, to a non-contact charging system performing non-contact charging of a battery mounted on an electric vehicle from the outside of the vehicle. More particularly, it relates to a non-contact charging system with an elevating-type primary coil, which is convenient to align the position of the primary coil on the ground surface and a second coil at the bottom of the vehicle and is energy-saving.
(b) Background Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-269687, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a non-contact charger, in which a primary coil connected with an external power source is electromagnetically coupled with a secondary coil connected with a power battery of a vehicle. The primary coil is located to be substantially flush with the road surface and, if the vehicle stops at a predetermined position, the primary coil is driven by a motor and projects toward the bottom of the vehicle. Then, the primary coil moves horizontally toward the bottom of the secondary coil installed at the bottom of the vehicle. Preferably, the primary coil has a buffer made of rubber installed at the top thereof and is driven by an elevating motor to rise upward and be in contact with the secondary coil.
Typically, the primary coil used in a large bus weighs hundreds of kilograms, for example. As a result, a drive mechanism of the primary coil for the non-contact charger becomes bigger and more complicated. Further, if the vehicle does not stop at a predetermined position, it is inconvenient to align the position of the primary coil, as well as time-consuming.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.